Hoda Kotb Shares Sweet Note for Drew Brees As He Graces Cover of The Times-Picayune Announcing His Retirement

Even the most casual of football fans (read: in it for the chips and salsa) have likely heard the name Drew Brees. Now, after 20 years as an NFL player, with 15 of those being for the New Orleans Saints, the record-smashing quarterback has announced his retirement from the NFL.

Former NOLA resident and Saints superfan Hoda Kotb, host of NBC's The TODAY Show, is not about to let this occasion go without sharing some heartfelt words. "Much love to @drewbrees Forever our guy," Kotb captioned a photo of the cover of The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate, celebrating Brees as "Our Saint" and announcing his retirement.

Kotb's followers eagerly chimed in with their remarks, too, with comments ranging from "Hoda thank you so much for loving our city, and Drew Brees" to "You are one of the very BEST, you will be forever our guy, good luck in your next chapter."

This is far from the only instance of celebrities and regular football fans alike expressing their gratitude for Brees. Earlier this week, we reported on New Orleans Saints' wide receiver Michael Thomas' heartfelt letter to Brees.

"Wow, what an honor and privilege these last 5 years have been for me to be blessed with the opportunity to line up and play on the same team as you. I can't thank God enough for putting me in this position," Thomas wrote in his tribute to Brees, published in The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate.

"You make the game fun. You make the game real. You set the standard every day no matter if it was my rookie year or just this past season," Thomas continued later in the note. "You gave everyone hope. You are the true definition of a leader. You are my hero and many others." We think we speak on behalf of many football fans when we say watching Brees play was often a highlight — even if we weren't rooting for the Saints.

Congratulations on the next chapter, Mr.Brees, which will include joining NBC Sports as both a game-day and studio analyst. We're looking forward to seeing all that you can achieve off of the field, after showing us all that you've got on the green.